African countries make voice heard at WICT

Yesterday and today seem to be the day for Africa to their voices and concerns heard.

During the plenary yesterday, it was clear from the Africa group that issues of invoicing and sending of invoices were important and should be in the treaty. Here is the draft resolution as presented by African countries.

DRAFT NEW RESOLUTION

International Telecommunication Service Traffic Termination and Exchange

The World Conference on International Telecommunications (Dubai, 2012)

considering that

developing countries have expressed a need for information and guidance on the implementation of commercial agreements, in particular, for the termination of international telecommunication services and invoicing for the exchange of such traffic,

noting that

ITU-T Study Group 3 is mandated to study the development of recommendations and guidelines related to these issues,

resolves to instruct the Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau

to take necessary action in order that Study Group 3 of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) study recent developments and practices with regard to the termination and exchange of international telecommunications traffic under commercial agreements, to develop a recommendation, if appropriate, and guidelines for the use of providers of international telecommunication service with regard to, inter alia:

Conditions for the establishment of invoices;

Conditions for sending invoices;

Conditions for payment of invoices;

Conditions for dispute resolution,

invites Member States

to provide contributions on international telecommunication service termination and exchange to Study Group 3 for the furtherance of its work,

invites Sector Members

to provide information to Study Group 3 and share best practices in the area of international telecommunications services termination and exchange, including in particular, invoicing.

Today, here are the issues of regulation that African countries want to be deleted…. and it was agreed that they should be deleted.

42Q [Member States shall promote cost-oriented wholesale pricing.]

42R [Member States shall take measures to ensure that reasonable compensation is received for carried traffic (e.g. interconnection or termination).]

42S [Member states shall ensure that their regulatory frameworks promote the establishment of commercial agreements between operating agencies* and the providers of international communication applications and services in alignment with principles of fair competition, innovation, adequate quality of service [and security].]

42T [The Member States shall take measures to ensure that operating agencies* have the right to charge providers of international communication applications and services appropriate access charges based on the agreed quality of service.]

42U [Member States should foster continued investment in high-bandwidth infrastructures.]

42V [Member States should/shall endeavour to ensure that operating agencies* collaborate in preventing and mitigating fraud in international telecommunications.]

42W [Member states should endeavor to facilitate access to International Telecommunication infrastructure for land locked countries.]

42X [Member States should encourage charging of end users/subscribers for International Telecommunication services according to what is effectively consumed.]

42Y [Member States shall ensure that each party in a negotiation or agreement related to or arising out of international connectivity matters can seek support of relevant authorities of other party’s State in alternative dispute resolution.]